Why Journal?

Journaling helps us meditate

Journaling is beneficial to our individual spiritual lives because it forces us to slow down and think more deeply about the truths of God’s Word. Author and pastor Donald Whitney says this:

Let’s make clear that Jesus did not live and die for sinners to turn us into journal-keepers. He came to make us right with God. But once we are right with God through repentance and faith in who Jesus is and what He has done, a journal can be, as millions of those right with God throughout history have found, a great tool for thinking about and applying the life and death of Jesus.

Most people write slower than we think. The very physical act of writing (or typing, if you prefer) makes us keep our thoughts in our brains longer than we would normally keep them, which makes us simmer on them for at least a little while. When our thoughts are driven to the Word of God, and we linger on those thoughts as we write, we create more time and space for the Holy Spirit to press God’s Word every more deeply into our souls.

Author David Mathis has also called journaling a “handmaid” to Bible reading and prayer, in that it can provide a bridge between the two. Writing down what we see in Scripture can be a powerful basis for praying God’s Word back to him. Conversely, writing down prayers to God can be an excellent way to articulate our thoughts. All that and more can be part of the journaling experience. Mathis writes,

Journaling has the appeal of mingling the motions of our lives with the mind of God. Permeated with prayer, and saturated with God’s word, it can be a powerful way of hearing God’s voice in the Scriptures and making known to him our requests. Think of it as a subdiscipline of Bible intake and prayer. Let a spirit of prayer pervade, and let God’s word inspire, shape, and direct what you ponder and pen.

Journaling helps us recall

In addition to its benefit to our individual spiritual growth and habits, journaling also has a very practical benefit when we meet with other believers, in that it helps us remember what we’ve learned so that we can share it with others.

We all live busy lives, and have many things running through our minds throughout the day and the week. When we gather  to share with each other what God is teaching us, it will be very difficult to recall what we learned and meditated on in our quiet times four or five days ago if we haven’t written things down. Without the benefit of a journal, we would have to re-read the Scriptures we’ve studied, try to remember what we prayed about, etc. That would suck time and energy out of our meeting times. But when we have a journal, we just need to glance at what we wrote, even reading our own words to our group, as we recall what the Spirit has done through the Word and prayer in our lives.

Closing thoughts

For these two primary reasons and more, journaling can be a central rhythm of our commitments to God and each other. Here are a few more things to keep in mind:

• Journaling doesn’t have to be long. You don’t have to fill several pages with complex thoughts in order to meditate and recall. Keep it simple, especially if you’re just starting out with journaling.
• What journal you use doesn’t matter. We have blank pages in this very guidebook, if you’d like to use them. Some might prefer a simple spiral notebook, while others will cherish a decorative journal. The most important thing isn’t the style, but the substance.
• Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask others how they journal, what method they use, and so forth. You might gain some critical insights from others.

If you’ve never journaled before, don’t be intimidated. As long as you are concentrating on what the text means in its original context, its significance for your life right now, and how the Spirit is leading you to apply God’s Word, I’m confident you’ll find journaling to be a worthy pursuit.